Dr. Jacqueline Bailey-Davis made history when she was appointed Norristown’s Police Chief in January. She is the first woman to lead the police department there, writes Shaynah Ferreira for Fox 29.

In an interview with Fox 29, Chief Dr. Jacqueline Bailey-Davis described growing up in South Philadelphia in what was called “the city’s largest, poorest, most isolated and arguably one of the most dangerous housing projects.”

After graduating from Martin Luther King Jr. High School, she studied criminal justice at the University of Cincinnati, and it was one of her professors who inspired her to be a police officer.

He said that Philadelphia had one of the most corrupt police departments and challenged her to go back home and make a difference.

And she did just that, spending a total of 26 years in the Philadelphia Police Department working her way up to staff inspector.

“My ultimate goal was to be the police commissioner in Philadelphia, but God said to me, ‘I’ll allow you to be a commander in chief but I have to change your venue and I was okay with that,” she said.

Chief Dr. Jacqueline Bailey-Davis said her focus is to make Norristown the safest place to work, live and visit.

And that all residents regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, creed, or religion have their voices heard.

Read more about Dr. Jacqueline Bailey-Daviid and her vision for the Norristown Police Department at Fox 29.

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